A Marauder's Tail
by Kimmimaru
Summary: There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first; when you learn to live for others, they will live for you. – Paramahansa Yogananda. Rated M for swearing and possible gore later on.
1. The Beginning

_A collection of random stories from the Marauder's. I have deliberately spelt the title of the fic wrong, I KNOW it's supposed to be 'tale' not 'tail' but I chose to mix it up because all of them can turn into animals. Ok, anyway, I hope you enjoy and remember that the updates will probably be sporadic and there is no definitive time-line. Each story is sometimes connected to the one before and sometimes completely random. Please enjoy and I love reviews! Thank you._

The Beginning

"Black, Sirius." He moved forward, each step feeling like he was walking through syrup. It was the hardest thing he had to do as he lowered himself onto the stool. Before the hat was lowered over his eyes and obscured his vision he had a last, nerve wracking glimpse of Narcissa watching keenly. He was plunged into darkness and he held his breath. A voice entered his mind and he waited, listening intently. _"Hmm, yes, yes…Another Black, I have sorted many members of your family. You have talent, that much is obvious…you have a great deal of bravery, you're very obviously intelligent…not very hard working though…where to put you, where to put you…" _Sirius waited, breath held and his shaking hands clutching the stool tightly. _"Although your loyalty is seemingly boundless you have a lot of unfulfilled potential in here, if you put your considerable mind to it, you could achieve anything. How about Slytherin? You could become great…"_

"_No. No. No! Anywhere but Slytherin!"_

"_Really? You surprise me. Let me see…you don't have quite the right mind for Ravenclaw, not disciplined enough…well…if not Slytherin then how about-"_

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The applause was sporadic at first, people turning to their neighbours and muttering as their hands came together. The hat was removed from Sirius' head and he glanced at Professor McGonagall who was giving him a long, searching look, he stood up on shaking knees and she nodded, giving him a brief smile. Joy exploded in his heart and he whooped in delight, his eyes moving to the Slytherin table and seeing everyone there sitting as still as statues as the shock of the pronouncement washed over them. Sirius looked away but he could still feel the heavy weight of their stares as they followed his leaping run across the hall towards the far table, the Gryffindor's applauded loudly, celebrating, not just a new addition to their ranks, but a small victory over the Slytherin's; they had snatched away a boy who ordinarily would have been placed in their house, if not for his brave first attempt to pull himself away from his heritage.

When his name was called he stepped forward, exuding a confidence well beyond his years. He sat down upon the stool and waited as the ancient old hat was lowered onto his head, it had barely touched his messy black hair before it screamed it's pronouncement to the whole Hall; _"Gryffindor!"_ James Potter stood up with a smile, he had known even before he had set foot on the Hogwarts Express where he would be placed, with a dramatic little bow towards the Gryffindor table he walked over and lifted his arm as he reached Sirius Black, the strange boy he had met on the train, their fingers clasped each other briefly and Sirius' eyes sparkled with joy. "Well done mate." James leaned down and whispered, unheard by any except Sirius who beamed at him with pride.

"Pettigrew, Peter." The small, rotund little boy stumbled on the hem of his robes as he walked towards the stool, he heard a sudden burst of cruel laughter and felt heat colour his face. He didn't dare turn to see who it was as he placed himself upon the stool. He felt gazes burning into him as darkness covered his eyes. He sat there, wringing his hands nervously as the hat remained silent for a seemingly endless amount of time before it spoke its judgement to the hall. Its voice, normally so certain of its decision was almost hesitant; "_G-Gryffindor_!" The applause was immediate and Peter felt his stomach slowly begin to untwist its self, he slid off the stool and ran down the aisle before loud laughter made him come to a halt, he turned as a hand descended upon his arm gently.

"You forgot to remove the hat, Mr. Pettigrew." McGonagall said, her lips twitching in wry amusement as she lifted the hat off his head, he grinned nervously as she turned away and took the hat back to its place on the stool. With heart fluttering against his ribs like a trapped butterfly he trotted towards the table bedecked in crimson and gold, the colours of his new house.

"Lupin, Remus." His name was called and he felt his throat constrict, his hands curled into tight fists as his numb feet took him towards the stool that loomed up as if it were under an intense spotlight. He swallowed his nerves, hoping he wouldn't do anything stupid and humiliating like burst into tears when the hat was placed upon his head. Everything had a weird, dream-like quality that made every movement a little like he was swimming through molasses. He had never, in all his short, eleven year existence, imagined himself to be standing upon this very spot, with eyes of hundreds of students glued to him expectantly. He sat down, clasping his hands together in his lap as he closed his eyes tightly and the hat was placed upon his head. _"Ah, now then, now then…what do we have here? Fascinating! Truly fascinating, I have never sorted a Werewolf before…" _Remus cringed inwardly, hoping against hope that the hat would keep that little piece of knowledge a dead secret. _"Your mind is brilliant, I rarely see anyone with such fascinating brains. How would you do in Ravenclaw? Hmm…but there is a huge amount of untapped bravery here, you have a core of steel, my boy. Indeed, indeed…with brains and bravery, you are lucky. This is a difficult one, I must say…Ravenclaw would feed your natural curiosity and help you build your knowledge however, Gryffindor would-yes, yes, I have made my decision…GRYFFINDOR!" _The applause was immense, the hat was taken from his head and blinked around, gazing at the hall with wide eyes that conveyed nothing but utter shock that he was there, that people were applauding and they were applauding for _him_. Someone nudged him gently in the back and he turned to find McGonagall smiling down at him. "Go on, go to your new House Mates…You will be an asset, Mr. Lupin. I am glad to welcome you." Slowly a small, tentative smile forced its way onto Remus' face, it grew as he stood and began walking steadily towards his new table. He was a part of something, he was _accepted_! A bright, exquisite joy exploded in his chest like a beautiful firework as he sat down on a bench, people clapped him on the back, congratulating him, welcoming him…he wished with all his heart that it would never, ever end.

_**XXX**_

"I say! This is rather…shabby, isn't it?" Sirius exclaimed as the Gryffindor Head Boy lead them into their new common room.

"I quite like it actually." James Potter replied from his side, his eyes moving across the comfortable, rounded room. The fireplace roared and crackled, giving off a wonderful heat that warmed him from the inside out. He grinned, unable to help himself.

"I suppose it does have a quaint charm about it, doesn't it?" Sirius agreed, eyeing the over-stuffed arm chairs and fraying carpets critically.

"Follow me boys and I will show you your dorms." The head boy announced and the boys broke off from the girls and followed him up the opposite staircase. "This will be your home for the rest of your time here; it would be easier if you got along with each other…you're stuck with your dorm mates after all." He paused before a door and pushed it open to reveal a room with four four-poster beds, crimson curtains hung from them and the walls were decorated with tapestries depicting the Gryffindor Lion.

"Wow…" James breathed softly before spotting his trunk and running over to the bed it had been put beside. "I get the window bed!" He cried and leapt onto it, folding his arms across his chest and grinning.

Sirius moved automatically to the bed beside James', he sat down and looked about the room through heavily lidded eyes. James jumped down from his bed and looked at his new dorm mates, his eyes landed on the boy with light brown hair and he moved forward, hand extended. "Hello, James Potter, what's your name?"

Remus stared uncertainly at the hand before slowly taking it in his own, he shook it briefly and smiled shyly. "Remus Lupin."

"Excellent." James grinned brightly and turned to the last of them. "And you?"

"Peter P-Pettigrew." Peter muttered, taking James' hand in his own sweaty one.

"Well, Mr. P-Pettigrew…It's nice to meet you."

Sirius snorted derisively, a small sneer gracing his handsome face. "I wonder if that stutter is permanent, it would be really annoying to have to listen to that for seven years."

"I'm sure it's just nerves." Remus said quietly, earning himself a grateful glance from Peter. "What's your name?"

Sirius' smile warmed a little as he surveyed Remus. "Sirius Black, I'm surprised you've never heard of me actually…or at least my name."

"Well…" Remus shifted uncomfortably. "My father and mother didn't allow me to have much to do with the Wizarding world to be honest." He said in a soft, hesitant voice.

"Why ever not?" Sirius asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

"Because they didn't." Remus said and looked away, unable to hold that steely silver gaze.

James yawned loudly and fell backwards onto his bed, his arms stretched out and his legs dangling over the side. "It's good to finally be here." He whispered with barely suppressed excitement. Sirius stood up and opened a trunk made from the finest leather, its clasps were silver and it had his initials stamped on the front in big, bold letters. He rummaged around and found his pyjama's which he withdrew and dumped on his bed before stripping off his robes. Remus' eyes moved around nervously, his own trunk sat at the foot of the bed farthest from the door, he chewed his bottom lip as James too began to get dressed.

"Do you sleep standing up in your robes?" Sirius asked, lifting a well-manicured eyebrow. He was now wearing silk pyjamas with a little crest embroidered in silver on the breast pocket, he had plaited his hair so it hung across his shoulder. "You're a little odd, aren't you Lupin?" Remus' eyes narrowed a little and Sirius laughed, a sound that resembled the bark of a dog. "Don't worry, I like odd."

Remus felt a small smile of his own appear on his face before he went to his trunk and pulled out his own pyjamas, they were well worn but clean and soft. He went towards the door to the bathrooms and went inside to change, all the while feeling Sirius' cool gaze upon his back.


	2. In The Morning…

In The Morning…

"Good Morning fellow Gryffindors!" James' obnoxiously loud voice filled the common room as he leapt out of bed. "Time to get up! We have a day of learning ahead of us! Come on Sirius old chap, stop hiding beneath your duvet!" He moved over to Sirius' bed and yanked back his covers.

"Get off!" Sirius snapped irritably as James jumped up and down on his bed. "It's too early! I can't function at this time in the morning…leave me alone…" He tried and failed to push James from his bed, only succeeding to make him crawl closer and begin pulling roughly at his shoulders. "Nnnnoooo!" Sirius groaned, squeezing his eyes shut tightly and waving his arms randomly at James, who was laughing brightly. "I bloody hate morning people!" Remus watched the intimate by-play between his two dorm mates and smiled as he slid out of his own bed and began gathering together his clothes for the day ahead. Suddenly Sirius pushed James off of him and grabbed his wand from the bedside table, he pointed it at James who was still grinning. "If you touch me one more time, Potter, I will hex you into next week!" Sirius growled furiously.

"Oh come on, no one knows any real spells this early on in the year!" James scoffed. "We're not even allowed to do magic outside of school!"

Sirius' face twisted into a sadistic smirk. "Oh, really? Would you like to test me?"

James' eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You know magic?" he asked quietly, unable to hide the eagerness in his voice.

"Of course I do! My parents wouldn't allow me to do anything without using magic! Isn't that normal? The trace can't pick it up because it's inside a house full of over-age witches and wizards…" Sirius paused at the look of incredulity on everyone's faces. "You mean…it's not normal?" He asked, eyes widening in his face. "Merlin! I was taught spells from the second I exhibited signs of magical talent! My mother has put me through rigorous training to ensure I had a wide range of knowledge before I got here."

"Go on then, show us something!" James asked eagerly, sitting up and leaning forward.

Sirius pointed his wand at a glass of water on his bedside table, he muttered a spell and everyone watched in awe as it froze solid. "It's really very basic magic." He said and smiled, glowing with pride that he could do something no one else could yet.

"Wow! You're so lucky! My mum would have killed me if I'd learnt magic like that…she's very law-abiding." James' face fell as he gazed morosely at the frozen glass of water. "Wish I had parents like yours."

Sirius snorted softly, extracting himself from the bed. "No…no you don't." He said and pulled open his trunk.


	3. Match Made In Heaven

Match Made In Heaven

"First lesson of the day is Defence Against the Dark Arts." James read aloud, frowning down at his timetable critically. "Hmm, well, at least it's not History of Magic, that sounds boring."

"I don't know, it might be very interesting." Remus said absently as he folded his timetable up neatly and put it into his pocket. "Does anyone know where Classroom thirty-one is?" He asked as he stood up and dragged his school bag from beneath the desk.

"No idea…I suppose we'll have to guess." Sirius replied as he too stood up. "Come on, Potter, let's get going…we have stuff to learn."

"Ah yes, the joys of school…I am a sponge! My only purpose in life to have knowledge stuffed down my throat by teachers who wield words as if they were whips." He sighed dramatically as he walked side-by-side with Sirius. "We must do our very best and be good little boys, follow the rules and make sure we never step a single toe out of line!"

"Mate," Sirius said, leaning towards James with a mischievous glitter in his eyes. "Rules were made to be broken."

James' grin spread and he slipped an arm through Sirius'. "Ah, I think I have finally found my soul-mate!"

Sirius sniggered. "We are a match made in heaven, my dear, sweet James."

"I think you'd look good in a dress, it would suit you."

"And I can imagine the cake and flowers! Of course, I would want my bouquet to have roses in it."

"Done! My Mother will be so pleased to hear of our engagement!"

Remus giggled, helpless against the antics of the two boys as they walked ahead of him. Abruptly James got down on one knee, taking Sirius' hand in his own. People turned and began to stare, several students stopped in the hall and began giggling and whispering.

"Sirius Black, will you consent to become my wife?"

Sirius affected a feminine giggle, putting his free hand over his mouth and fluttering his eyelashes. "Oh Jamie! I'm so happy! Of course I will marry you!"

"You two had better hurry to class, you're going to be late." A voice startled the two boys out of their play-acting, James stood up and took Sirius' hand as McGonagall appeared from the Great Hall with a small smile.

"Of course, Professor. Sorry, Professor." They chorused sweetly with almost identical smiles.

"Congratulations on your engagement, I'm sure your parents will be very happy to hear the news, now get going."

Sirius gave James the soppiest, most glowing look he could muster and leaned his head against James' shoulder. "Thank you Professor, I'm so happy!" Together, still hand-in-hand, they moved towards the stair case.


	4. Dark Creature

Dark Creature

"Can any of you tell me the effects that the bite of a Werewolf has upon its victim?"

Remus sank lower in his seat, slowly, as if he were terrified of being picked to answer, he raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Lupin?"

"The bite of a Werewolf will transfer the infection from the Wolf to its victim. Lycanthropy can be transferred only whilst the carrier is in its transformed state, and animals are not affected at all. Most muggle's will die if attacked and bitten by a Werewolf due to the lack of magic in their blood. However, it is noted that some do survive."

"Very good, very good. Ten points to Gryffindor. How do we distinguish a Werewolf from a normal wolf?" The professor continued, gazing at the class expectantly. Once again Remus' hand went into air. "Yes, Mr. Lupin?"

"A werewolf is generally bigger…" He began quietly, staring determinedly down at his hands. "It has human intelligence and is much more ferocious. Its ears are bigger, it's tail fluffier and they are generally either grey or black in colouring."

"Excellent! Another ten points to Gryffindor. Now, I want you, as homework, to write a foot long essay on how to treat a Werewolf bite."

"Wow, I didn't know you knew so much about Werewolves, Remus!" Sirius exclaimed as they left their class room.

Remus looked away, feeling nerves gnaw at his guts like ants on something sweet. "Yes…My father…he's an expert on Dark Creatures. At one point he was employed at the Ministry."

"Wow! Nice!" James exclaimed with a grin. "I bet you know loads of stuff about Dark Creatures!"

"I know a bit, I suppose." Remus said with a soft smile.

"Well, if I'm ever attacked by a Hag then I know who to come to." Sirius smiled and Remus felt warmth spread through him, his shoulders straightened a little as he walked beside his new friends and felt the beginnings of what could only have been devoted love.


	5. Bullies

**AN: In this chapter I wanted to show James and Sirius' bad side, because no one is perfect and they were gits to Snape at school. Please enjoy and I love reviews, they make my writing worthwhile. Thank you.**

Bullies

Sirius smirked as he saw the approach of Severus Snape, he was walking with his head down so that greasy hair fell into his eyes. James and he were lounging lazily by a window, watching the students pass back and forth and complaining loudly about how bored they were. Sirius nudged James and caught his attention, he leaned over to his friend and grinned. "Watch this." He whispered and pointed his wand at the odd boy.

Suddenly Snape's books exploded in his arms, he cried out in horror as they fell to bits and sent paper scattering in all directions. He heard laughter erupt from the people in the corridor and heat flooded his cheeks. He bent and began scooping the mess back into his arms, thinking only about what would happen to him when he was forced to return them to the library and he couldn't fix them. He froze as he spotted a pair of black boots step onto one of the fragile pages, slowly he lifted his eyes and found himself looking up at the arrogant, sneering face of Sirius Black. "Look at this, Jamie! We've got a Squib in school! Can't even pick up a few books without scrubbing around like a muggle!"

James frowned a little. "Mate, comparing that to a muggle is a bit offensive don't you think?"

Sirius looked a little taken aback. "What?"

"Well, Muggle's are alright really and I'm sure they'd take great offence if they heard you comparing this greasy slime ball to them."

Sirius laughed nastily. "True, very true."

"Aw, looks like he's about to cry!" James chuckled. "Want a hanky to wipe your nose?"

"I can't believe they allowed someone who can't even use magic to clean up his messes into the school! I mean, what are they going to do with him?"

"He's obviously going to end up in training under Filch, they can be the bestest of Squib buddies!"

Sirius laughed again, this time kicking the cover of a book away from Snape's outstretched fingers. "Go and get it then." He demanded imperiously, looking down at the humiliated boy at his feet. From somewhere deep in the back of his mind he heard the voice of his mother, her words echoing his. He remembered the sting of humiliation as he was forced to pick up the shards of a broken glass, his fingers cut and bleeding as she loomed over him, ignoring his pitiful sobs. _You can't even perform such a simple spell? Useless! Utterly useless! I cannot stand to see my own son scrubbing around on the floor like a filthy Mudblood Muggle! The shame! The shame! _Sirius felt his fury grow, it was always good to vent his own self-anger onto another, after all, he was only having a bit of fun. Unlike his mother, he wasn't actually hurting anyone…Surely? He watched in satisfaction as Snape withdrew his wand and pointed it at the book, he spoke a spell and it gave a feeble wobble before stilling once again. Sirius broke out into guffaws of laughter. "He can't even clean up after himself! Oh, Jamie! My sides!" He leaned against his best friend, laughing hysterically while James grinned.

"What on earth is going on?!" An angry voice startled them from their laughter. James' head snapped upwards so quickly Sirius was surprised he didn't give himself whiplash. His hand jumped to his hair and a smile stretched his lips, Sirius gave him a side-long glance and sighed heavily. "Sev? What happened?" Lily Evans bent down to help Severus recover his spilled books, she mended them with soft mutters before turning furious green eyes on James and Sirius. "Did you do this?" She demanded, her wand still clutched in her hand. Sirius eyed it warily, his own held at his side, ready to defend himself if he needed.

"Well…" James began but Snape interrupted him.

"They made me drop my books!" He hissed angrily and lifted his wand to point it straight into James' face, James' eyes narrowed and his back straightened defiantly. Sirius stepped closer to him, ready to defend him.

"You deserved it!" James said. "You tried to use a tripping jinx on Peter the other day!"

Snape sneered. "And that gives a right to-" He broke off as Lily put a comforting hand on his arm.

"Come on Sev, let's get out of here."

"Come on Evans, why don't you hang out with us?" James asked with that irritatingly charming smile, Sirius yawned widely and leaned against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. He knew what would happen, it was always the same thing over and over.

"I would rather jump into a nest of firecrabs, Potter. Come on Severus." She grabbed Snape's arm and steered him away from James and Sirius, James' hair seemed to wilt with disappointment before he rallied once again.

"One day she'll come around." He said with admirable conviction. "She'll eventually see what Snivelly really is."

"Of course." Sirius replied in a tone of utter disinterest, he yawned again and pushed hair from his eyes, ignoring the looks he gained from girls as they passed him in the corridor. "I'm bored, let's get out of here."


	6. Jinxes and Potions

Jinxes and Potions

"MY FUCKING HAIR! POTTER, COME HERE SO I CAN MURDER YOU!"

Remus looked up as James came flying into the dorm laughing loudly, he dived onto the sofa and grabbed the startled werewolf and used him a shield as Sirius came pelting in after him. Remus' eyes widened as they took in Sirius' appearance, his hair had been turned a rather garish shade of pink. He had his wand clutched tightly in one hand while he glared daggers at his best friend who continued to laugh hysterically from the protection of Remus' back, his fingers dug almost painfully into Remus' shoulders. "Y-You…You l-look…s-so…funny!" He managed to sputter before bursting into another intense fit of laughter, tears began to run down his face form beneath his glasses.

"Stop hiding behind Remus you coward! Come out and face your punishment like a man!" Sirius growled and leapt towards his friends, he landed on the bed and pushed Remus aside roughly.

"Hey! Ow!" Remus said as Sirius' nails caught his skin. He slid off of his own bed and onto the floor with a surprised grunt, he sat still, blinking as behind him Sirius wrestled with James.

"Get off of me! Ow! Sirius, that bloody hurts!" James winced as Sirius' knee came perilously close to his groin and his fingers dragged at his hair.

"Undo it!" Sirius growled, jabbing James with his wand and burning holes in his clothes.

James laughed again, wiggling and trying to escape. "Get off of me you bastard! Remus! Help!"

Remus rubbed his torn skin with a frown. "You won't be getting any help from me, what kind of friend uses another as a shield?" He muttered and stood up, moving to James' bed and sitting down.

"Traitor!" James cried as Sirius finally managed to pin him down and hold his wand under James' jaw, both were breathing heavily and James wore a silly grin. His glasses had fallen off at some point during their tussle and all he could see of Sirius was his blurry figure.

"I said; Undo it! I can't go around school with pink fucking hair!"

"I dunno, it looks good on you mate."

"Fuck you Potter! Fuck you and your stupid fucking pranks!" Sirius jabbed him harder with his wand, making James giggle. "Reverse it!"

"Alright! Alright! Just let me up so I can get my wand." Reluctantly Sirius drew away, watching James through furious eyes as he dug around in his pocket and withdrew his wand. He reversed the spell and returned Sirius' hair back to black. "There, are we happy?"

Sirius tilted his chin and smirked evilly. "Oh, I'm far from happy, Potter. I'm going to get you back for that little stunt, trust me."

Once again Remus sat in the dorm, reading his latest Transfiguration book when suddenly the door slams open and he's once again disturbed. Sirius is grinning widely, his wand sticking out from behind his ear as he strides confidently into the room. "Hello Remus, old friend. How's everything going? What are you doing?"

"I'm reading, Sirius, what's happen-" His voice was cut off as a loud shout echoed up to them from the common room, Sirius settled at Remus' side, still smiling. "What did you do?" Remus asked as the door was flung open for the second time that day to reveal James looking as white as sheet.

"Black!" He gasped, eyes wide behind his spectacles. "What did you fucking do to me?!"

Sirius sniggered. "Revenge, Potter." He said with an evil smirk.

"B-But that's just…that's just cruel! You…you're a sadistic bastard!"

Sirius lifted a hand and casually studied his nails. "I know." He said proudly.

"What happened?" Remus asked again, utterly bewildered. James looked unhurt and obviously nothing had changed in his appearance.

"Veritaserum, Potter. Next time be careful who you fuck with."

"Where on earth did you get that?" Remus asked, eyes widening in shock.

"It was easy, I just asked Slughorn for a phial of it for 'academic purposes' and he handed it right over. Being a Black has its advantages, especially when a teacher wants to use you to gain more power."

"Oh dear…" Remus sighed and looked up at James who had sunk to his knees, he looked pale and scared. "What have you done, James?"

"I-I…I told Lily that I…that I l-loved her…I-I…I told McGonagall that it was me who flooded the girls bathrooms with Stink Sap in second year. I told Lily all the things I've dreamed about her…" He looked suddenly as if he was going to throw up. "Oh Merlin…the look on her face! It was as if I'd slapped her!" He groaned heavily and pushed his hands into his hair. "Fuck."

Sirius' eyes widened in shock. "You…you didn't really…did you?"

James groaned, looking oddly as if he was slowly shrinking in on himself. He fell sideways onto his bed and lay there. "She hates me now…there's no way she'll ever forgive that."

"Bugger. I'm sorry James, I didn't realise you'd go and speak to her." Sirius looked genuinely guilty for his blunder.

"Just explain to her that you got in the way of a bad hex and didn't mean anything you said." Remus suggested gently.

Slowly James' hands slipped from his face and he looked at Remus with such open hope it was hard not to feel sorry for him. "You think she'd believe that?" He asked.

"She might. It's worth a try, isn't it?"

James grinned brightly, as if the sun had come out from behind clouds. "That's brilliant Moony! I think I'll go and do just that!" He leapt to his feet and ran across the room, flinging his arms around Remus and kissing the top of his head before sending a glare in Sirius' direction. "You are a bastard, Black. No hugs for you."

Sirius pouted and folded his arms across his broad chest. "Fine. Didn't want any anyway." He said huffily.


	7. Pack

Pack

"Remus…Remus wake up…"

"Mmm…go'way…"

"Moony!"

Remus' eyes opened slowly, he blinked and yawned before his sight finally focussed on a face hovering above him in the gloom. "James?" He said sleepily.

"Yeah, come on, get up." James grabbed him and tried to drag him out of bed, Remus struggled feebly before finally succumbing to his friend's insistent hands.

"James, what is it? What's going on?" Remus asked, looking out of the dormitory window to find that it was still pitch black outside. "Merlin's beard! What time is it?"

"It's three in the morning." Came Sirius' voice from his left hand side.

"What?!" Remus blinked stupidly around and saw Peter standing by the door and grinning foolishly. "Why would you do this? We have lessons tomorrow!"

"We have something amazing to show you." James replied, smirking and sharing a silent communication with Sirius who's own face broke into an equally mischievous grin.

"If this is some kind of stupid prank you can tell me in the morning, I'm going back to sleep." He tried to climb back into bed but James sighed heavily and pulled him back out again.

"You won't want to miss this, mate." Sirius said eagerly as he picked up Remus' dressing gown and flung it at him. It hit him full on in the face and he winced.

"Why can't it wait?"

"Because it can't. Now get your arse out of bed and follow us."

Finally Remus had no choice but to concede, but he put his dressing gown on with as much bad grace as he could muster. He frowned and muttered irritably until finally he slipped his feet into his slippers. His friends grinned and began ushering him out of the dorm.

No matter how many times he asked they never told him where they were going. They were all hidden beneath James' invisibility cloak and Sirius had the Map clutched in one hand as they walked through the nearly empty castle. Finally they found themselves by the front doors leading into the Hogwarts grounds; Sirius took one look at the map before nodding to himself and ducking out from under the cloak. He pulled open the doors and James lifted up the cloak so that he could climb underneath again. Together they slipped out into the night.

"This is stupid; tell me what's going on!" Remus said sharply as he realised that they were heading towards the dangerous Whomping Willow.

"Have patience dear Moony." James said softly, Remus was barely able to make out his face as the star light filtered through the silvery cloth covering their heads.

"All in good time, my friend." Sirius said and gave James an excited smile.

Remus clamped his teeth down on the angry retort that threatened to escape him, he had to admit that he was now curious what his friends were up to but he was also nervous. They were too close to the Forbidden Forest and if he knew his friends as well as he thought he did, they had every intention of stepping beneath the dark, forbidding shadows of the ancient trees. He was right.

The shadows encased them, James finally pulled the cloak off of them and took a glance back up to the castle which sat in silent meditation as most of its inhabitants slept peacefully within. "Lumos." James muttered and was copied by Peter and Sirius, the wand light sent darkness scurrying away and the forest seemed to frown down on them for daring to disturb its peaceful slumber. "Right…Let's just go in a little further, until we can't be seen by anyone at the castle."

Sirius followed James happily, looking around as if they were having a pleasant stroll on the beach, not entering a forest that held Merlin knows what. He lifted his wand to highlight a massive tree, it's trunk as wide as a Giants leg. "Nice this, isn't it?" He said and grinned at James who gave him a side-long glance and snorted. "I've always liked trees you know."

"That's good, seeing as we're surrounded by them." James replied, he paused and looked back the way they had come. "Right, here should be alright." He said and abruptly took hold of Remus and sat him down on a large boulder that looked as if it was the tip of an impossibly huge dinosaur bone poking through the crust of dead leaves and moss. He frowned a little as his three best friends lined up before him.

"Am I allowed to ask what you're up to now?" He asked suspiciously.

"Yes you are, Moony old friend." James said happily. "But it might be better if we showed you…"

Remus, now more confused than ever, watched as all three of them closed their eyes. They stood there in perfect silence, the wind blew through the trees, making them rustle and whisper in their own leafy language. He swallowed and glanced back behind him, he could have sworn he had heard something. When he turned back his friends had gone. "Wha-?" He didn't manage to finish his sentence as something heavy and incredibly furry hit him in the chest, he fell backwards with a terrified cry as he tried to fend the creature off with one arm while the other scrambled frantically with his wand which was stuck in his pocket. Before he could dislodge his wand he felt a wet, hot tongue glide up his cheek and he winced at the unpleasant sensation. Slowly he turned his head and looked up into the face of a huge black dog. It was panting and wagging its tail in excitement, its tongue lolling from its mouth like a large pink snake. Remus swallowed his shock and pushed aside his momentary terror. "Where on earth did you come from?" he asked in a shaky voice.

The dog barked once and gave him another affectionate lick before backing away, Remus sat up, wiping his sleeve over his face. "James? Sirius? Peter?" He called and looked around at the small clearing where his friends had apparently abandoned him. He could hear the dog snuffling around by some bushes and he turned his head as he searched for his friends, finally his eyes landed upon a huge, magnificent stag. He froze, eyes widening as he stared at the handsome creature. He supposed that stags might have been fairly common in forests such as this one but what confused him most was the fact that between the stags impressive antlers sat a small, grey rat. He blinked in an attempt to correct his vision, he was certain that rats tended not to hitch rides on stags but when he opened his eyes and looked again it was still there. "What…what's going on?" He asked no one in particular, he turned back to the dog and found it standing right beside him. He looked into its eyes and realised that they were silver. An odd eye colour for a dog. Then, with a flash of inspiration like lightning, he realised that he recognised them. He climbed to his feet, stumbling backwards a little before running over to the stag and rat, he stared at them carefully for a long time before making a strange, oddly animalistic noise in the back of his throat. He spun around back to the dog who was sat down and wagging its tail, stirring up leaves and other things on the ground. He swallowed as a large lump became stuck in his throat, his eyes burned savagely and he began shaking his head rapidly. "No. No. No…I-Impossible…y-you…you didn't…oh please tell me you didn't…I-I…Oh Merlin…So dangerous…stupid…" He took a sharp breath, unable to help the catch as he forced back a sob. "Why?" He croaked finally, his eyes scanning the three animals that had once been his friends. Sirius was the first to return to his human form, he sat in the leaves and grinned like a maniac.

"'Why?' Why not?" He countered, still grinning. He looked as if he had won the muggle lottery as well as every other competition in the world.

"We did it for you, Remus." James said and Remus almost gave himself a crick in his neck, he turned it so fast.

"I-I…I didn't…" He shook his head, unable to form any coherent sentence. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, he was so deeply shocked by it all that he hadn't really had time to digest it. Slowly his knees buckled and he fell to the floor in a heap, he sat very still as his friends inched closer, he stared into the pitch black forest as his breath came in little stuttering gasps. Slowly, as if they were afraid of him, his friends surrounded him.

"Moony?" Sirius said uncertainly, glancing at James who shrugged. "Are you…are you alright?"

"Y-You…you _idiots_!" Remus burst out suddenly, making Sirius jump. "How could you have been so reckless?!" He gasped in a breath and met James' eyes. His friend merely stood there, his hands buried in his pockets and a small, knowing smile on his face as Remus began to list all the reasons why what they had done was stupid. "You could be sent to Azkaban! You should have been registered! Do you know how utterly dangerous all this is? You're _teenagers_ for crying out loud!" He shivered, finally shouting himself into silence.

"We only did it because we wanted to be able to help." Sirius said softly, his voice carrying a hint of hurt at Remus' vehement reaction.

Remus turned to him and saw his face full of concern, he looked back at James and Peter who looked terrified. Finally he was unable to hold it back; he burst into helpless tears. Sirius' eyes widened in surprise and James crouched down before Remus, lifting a hand and putting it on his shoulder. "Animals can't contract Lycanthropy, Remus…you know what this means, don't you?"

"O-Of c-course I fucking w-well d-d-do!" He gasped, looking up at James through his sleep mussed hair. "B-B-But I can't-can't l-let you d-do this…n-not for m-me I-I'm not-"

"You're worth this and ten million times more." Sirius said in a low growl. "I hate it when you start with this rubbish. We're your fucking friends, Moony, get it into your thick skull; we want to help you!"

"We spent years perfecting this, all so that we could spend time with you during the full moon. We want to help you as much as we can, and because we can't find a cure, we decided a long time ago that would be the best way to help." James smiled and Remus hiccoughed before abruptly he flung his arms around James' neck, forcing a gasp from his lips and making him fall backwards to the ground.

"You bastards. You stupid, idiotic, amazing, wonderful bastards!" Remus gasped.

Sirius grinned brightly as Remus sat upright and wiped at his face with the sleeve of his dressing gown, he delved into his pocket and withdrew a handkerchief with the Black family crest embroidered in one corner. "Sorry, it's all I've got."

Remus snuffled his thanks and wiped his streaming eyes with it. "I can't b-believe you…all t-this time you were in l-library y-you w-were…?"

"We were researching ways to become Animagus." James replied with a grin. "Did you know Remus that we're the youngest people in history to have completed the change?"

"We also did it in the shortest time on record." Sirius said proudly.

"You're fools." Remus said with a small, lopsided smile. "You're fools but I love you."

Sirius threw his arms around Remus and held him tightly, they were soon joined by James and Peter. The four friends remained that way for a long time until Sirius spoke. "We love you too, Moony."


	8. Werewolf

**AN: Another little insight into the Marauder's, this is skipping backwards a little in the time line. I hope you enjoy it.**

Werewolf

The night was dark and cold yet Sirius could feel the sweat upon his palms, he rubbed them anxiously against his pyjama bottoms as he glanced nervously around the empty corridor. The castle was almost silent as curfew had been in place for more than half an hour, he could feel the rapid breathing of both James and Peter at his sides as the three of them crouched beneath the satiny folds of James' father's cloak. Vague fear that seemed to have no obvious source clutched at his belly and made his throat dry, he swallowed to ease it and James sent him a curious glance, he ceased his outward signs of nerves and tried to still his rapidly beating heart. No matter how much James liked him he would never be able to live it down if he backed out now, they all had no choice but to go on with their plans no matter how worried they all were.

The statue they had chosen to hide behind was decorated in ropes of glittering spider webs that held the bodies of several fat, hairy arachnids within their glossy folds. Torches burned brightly and except for the odd passage of ghosts, teachers and even the odd prefect all was eerily quiet. It was the night before All Hallows Eve and Sirius could feel the power of the coming day like a great weight as he tried to prevent himself from shifting too often on his cramped legs. They waited with unnatural patience for three twelve year olds.

Sirius' mind went back to the previous evening when Remus had disappeared to the Hospital Wing once again. James had come to him explaining that he had seen their friend enter the Hospital looking as if he was at deaths door, it didn't take much for their vivid imaginations to begin to conjure the most horrid scenarios for their friends untimely illnesses. James began to worry aloud and finally they had both agreed that they would sneak into the Hospital Wing to see just what exactly was wrong with Remus. They had decided to use the invisibility cloak to break curfew, it was much easier to avoid Filch when hidden from all eyes.

Finally, after an indeterminable amount of time, or, as Sirius considered it, forever and a day, they heard the hurried sound of footsteps coming from behind the massive oaken doors of the Hospital Wing. James took a breath as they swung open to reveal dimly glowing lamps and two heavily cloaked figures, one much smaller than the other. Sirius lifted an eyebrow and cocked his head in silent question towards James who simply shrugged his bewilderment. They heard the soft echoing whispers of the Matronly form of Madam Pomfrey as she ushered her young charge into the corridor, they were unable to make out all she said but strange words drifted to their hiding place as the pair passed them by. Sirius felt his hackles rising and clenched his hands into fists at his sides, some basic instinct told him that they shouldn't have come. He felt the nagging voice of terror playing a violent game of tug of war with his strong sense of childish courage as a member of his infamous group of friends. He wanted to run and return to the warm safety of the common room, he wanted to hide beneath his duvet and drapes of crimson velvet because he was certain that something was dreadfully wrong. James seemed to have no such compunctions as he tugged Sirius forward by his elbow and hissed into his ear; "Come on, let's follow!" Sirius finally forced his feet to move, he refused to make a prat of himself in front of James and especially not Peter who didn't really need to be there in the first place. He steadied himself and shuffled forward with James as Peter dragged his loud, clumsy feet behind them. Sirius had to bite down hard on his inner cheek to stop himself from snapping at the plump boy to shut the hell up or return to the common room, he could not understand why the boy had almost no sense of stealth. With a scowl that was in part at Peter and in part at his own seeming cowardice, he forced himself to square his shoulders and follow the two figures that were now disappearing out the front doors and into the expansive Hogwarts grounds.

Mist tugged at their ankles as the three boys made their slow way after the cloaked figures before them, it didn't take them long to catch up as Remus seemed almost too sick to walk very fast at all. They could hear Madam Pomfrey's soft encouragements and watched in agitation as their friend forced his limbs to obey him. It seemed to them that Remus was in a lot of pain, he was doubled over with the effort of walking but he continued doggedly, sometimes supported by the nurse at his side, but mostly he moved of his volition. Sirius silently admired his courage and felt the warm glow of pride as his friend made his way towards the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest.

When they realised where they were going the boys halted, before them was the huge tree dubbed the 'Whomping Willow'. They had all been warned in their first year to avoid it at all costs as it was a dangerous thing that would maim or potentially kill any who might get too close. Sirius had remarked during that evenings dinner that it was stupid to put such a dangerous tree right where any old body could walk right into it, now, apparently he was about to discover why the violent plant was there. Pomfrey stopped just out of range of those flailing branches and lifted her wand, a spell shot from the end and the tree seemed to freeze completely as if turned to ice, not even the soft autumnal breeze stirred its deadly branches. Sirius stood and watched as Remus bent down and ducked into a small hole, previously unnoticed by any of them, that lay in between the gnarled roots of the tree. James caught his breath, his eyes moving to the star strewn sky and back again, he was frowning and his lips parted a little as if he were about to speak but he remained silent.

Once again the small group of boys found themselves waiting, it was a little while before Madam Pomfrey made her reappearance and brushed off her robes before making her way back to the castle. Sirius stood stock still as a slow, creeping realisation struck him. His own thoughts were already half-formed when a sudden, silvery glow illuminated the grounds around them as if someone had turned on a light. James uttered a soft gasp, Peter shifted and Sirius felt his finger tips tingle as his eyes were dragged towards the fat glowing orb of a perfectly full moon. It was then that an ear splitting cry rent the air, Peter squeaked loudly and cowered a little, James' hand found Sirius' and they gripped each other tightly. The knot of rapidly growing fear that had been growing inside Sirius for the last few hours reached its pinnacle, he fought the urge to bolt back to the safety of the castle as the screams sent his heart racing. They were inhuman yet he was sure he could hear the anguished sound of his best friend's voice somewhere beneath the terror inducing animal noises. He shared a horrified look with James and saw his own fear reflected back at him, he tugged on James' hand and managed to jerk his head back to the dark castle, reluctantly James nodded his ascent.

XXX

The common room was now empty yet the warmth from the dying fire hit them all like a solid wall after the cold corridors and grounds. Sirius felt his body relax a little as he slumped down into the nearest arm chair and closed his eyes, he heard his friends settle around him and once again his skin crawled as he remembered their discovery. "A werewolf." James muttered softly, his voice seeming to carry in the heated silence. Sirius opened his eyes and looked at him.

"I don't understand…why would Dumbledore allow such a dangerous creature into a school?!" He said, his fingers clenching on the arms of his chair and his face twisting in horror. "It's just…" He fell quiet, unable to articulate just what it was.

James had a thoughtful frown on his face as he gazed into the depths of the fire. "I don't know but…but maybe it's not as bad as it looks."

Sirius' eyes widened incredulously. "James, you do know what a Werewolf _is_, don't you?"

"Of course I do, Sirius!" James snapped before sighing and rubbing his eyes. "What I mean is that Remus himself is really ok, isn't he?" He looked up, meeting his friend's eyes. "He's not a wolf all the time and he's about as dangerous in human form as a wet sponge. You're far more dangerous than he is, Sirius."

"I take offence at that." Sirius muttered with a haughty glare. "He could bite anyone! Hogwarts is a bloody buffet for a dirty great wolf!"

"He's been here as long as we have and there's never been an incident." James pointed out reasonably. "I just don't feel that it's that bad."

Sirius huffed, blowing his fringe out of his eyes as he tilted his head to gaze into the fire. "I don't know, James…I can't help but think about all the stories we were told as kids, you know the one's…about Werewolves like those one's that target kids…" He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, finally he looked back at James. "How can I be friends with someone who would kill me as soon as look at me?" His voice dropped and he allowed a little of the fear he felt at their discovery. "I've been sharing a dorm with a-a monster."

"Come on, Sirius…you know Remus as well as I do. He's not a monster."

"He is right now."

"Sirius is right." Peter said, speaking up for the first time that evening. He flushed as Sirius turned his bright eyes onto him and had to force himself to meet his penetrating gaze. "We can't share a dorm with something like that…it's just wrong. What if he turns on us one day? Or-or what if he ends up biting one of us?" His voice rose a little hysterically and his eyes widened with his terror.

"I think," James began slowly, still with that thoughtful frown on his forehead. "That we should stand by him. I know what the stories tell us, that werewolves are dangerous, evil things but I think they're wrong. Remus doesn't have an evil bone in his body, surely if he was going to hurt us he would have done it by now. Did you see how much pain he was in when Pomfrey was taking him to the Willow?" James' eyes glittered earnestly as he leaned forward, desperate to make Sirius see things from his perspective. "Years of brainwashing have given us this warped view of things and now I just can't believe any of it. Ultimately Werewolves are human beings first, therefore naturally you would get both good and bad ones. I like Remus, it doesn't matter to me if he changes into a wolf once a month…I think that our next step will be to find out ways to help him. I'm not going to abandon any of my friends, not even if they've got a-a," He paused and thought for a moment before a grin split his face. "A furry little problem." He said.

Sirius stared at James for a long time, his mind doing more thinking than he ever had before. He was comparing the stories he had been told as a child to the Remus he knew and loved. Slowly it began to dawn on him, Remus wasn't a violent psychopath, he was still Remus most of the time. He didn't growl or eat raw meat, he didn't like to bite any random person to cross his path. Remus exuded a quiet kindness that Sirius had come to appreciate in the year and a bit he had known him. He was always ready with a smile when Sirius was upset by something, or James wanted to moan about how terrible his latest detention was. He would always throw back his duvet and allow Sirius to climb into bed with him when he had nightmares or if he was just lonely. That kind of person would never willingly allow himself to hurt anyone. Finally Sirius nodded. "Yeah…yeah I think you're right. I was…being stupid. Remus isn't anything like the werewolves I've been told about. Maybe…maybe I'm being prejudice."

James' smile brightened and he clapped Sirius on the shoulder. "The first step is acknowledging it, welcome to the club."


	9. Broomsticks

**AN: Once again skipping back in time to the Marauder's first year. Now then, in this I have based my information on canonical sources. In other words the fact that Peter is rubbish at flying is because no where does it suggest he ever flew or ever even touched a broom, Remus is a relatively skilled flier because it states on the HP Wiki that he was. Sirius is another one where it does not say anything about his skill at flying, he much preferred his motorbike so I would assume that he wasn't all that interested in it. James was obviously the most skilled flier. So, please enjoy and any reviews are always welcome, thank you for reading.**

Broomsticks

"Good morning class!" Madam Hooch said briskly as she came to a halt before the group of first years, her yellow eyes scanned them all as if taking stock of each of them.

"Good morning Mrs. Hooch." The class echoed back, some with nervous glances down at the broomsticks lined up on the floor.

"Now, welcome to your very first flying lesson." Hooch began pacing up and down before the gathered students. "I will begin by explaining some basic ground rules for this lesson; number one; never, ever attempt to fly a broom without the guidance of a teacher. Two; never attempt any tricks or stupid stunts whilst in the air and three; do not get ahead of yourselves or overconfident. This is a potentially dangerous lesson, I will not tolerate any mucking around, _do_ _you hear me boys_?!"

Sirius started, eyes widening behind the curtain of hair that fell across them. He had been conversing with James and not paying attention. James looked up, grinning brilliantly. "Sorry professor." He said, casting a sly look in Sirius' direction and sharing a brief grin with him.

"Right, now, I want you all to stand beside a broom and await further instruction." Hooch said and watched as the students did as they were told, many of them looked terrified including Peter Pettigrew.

James looked down at the broom at his feet, a sneer gracing his face. "Look at this thing! It's bloody ancient! Comet 140's should have died out years ago when Nimbus released the 1000." He shook his head in disappointment. "My father got me the Nimbus 1001, it's got a top speed of 150 mph, it's braking charm is the best out there and, according to _Which Broomstick?,_ it's aerodynamic design is the best yet."

Sirius nodded. "My parents got my brother the Nimbus 1001 and he's only ten."

"Wow!" James looked suitably impressed. "What about you?"

Sirius swept hair from his eyes casually, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and avoiding James' gaze. "I asked but…" He shrugged, dismissing the subject with a wave of his hand. "I don't really fly as much as Reg does, he's the budding Quidditch star."

"Oh, ok." James smiled and returned his attention back to the teacher.

"Now then, I want you to each hold your hand above your broomstick and say; 'Up' when I give the order, ok?" She watched her students nod. "Right; Up!"

Voices chorused the word, James yawned and ruffled up his hair as his eyes watched his fellows curiously. His hand drifted out to his side casually and the broom flew into it as if he had a magnet attached to his palm. Others were having less success. Peter was frantically whispering the word over and over until it had blended into a stream of nonsense; his face was growing ever more pink as he rapidly became more embarrassed. Remus had his broom on the second try and stood there with a proud smile on his lips, it grew bigger when James nudged him gently in the side, whispering 'well done' in his ear. Sirius too had a little trouble but finally he was holding his broom looking relieved. Finally Peter was the only student who had yet to make his broom leap into his outstretched palm, he was red in the face by now and sweating profusely until James took pity on him with a heavy sigh.

"Here, twist your hand a little like that…yes, that's right, and then you've got to _command_ the broom to move. That's it!" James grinned broadly when Peter finally achieved it, he patted him gently on the back. "You'll get it eventually." He said kindly, earning himself an approving smile from Remus and a raised eyebrow from Sirius.

"Now we may talk about mounting your brooms." Hooch moved towards Snape who was looking morose as he gazed at his broom. "I want you to put one leg over your broom handle, like so…" She demonstrated and the class followed suit. "Very good."

James yawned again, his eyes misting as his mind drifted away from the lesson. It was all stuff he knew already, he usually spent a good portion of his time at home playing chaser against his father who kept goal. Sirius shifted uncomfortably on his broom, he looked at the rest of the class and saw the muggleborns looking terrified, their knuckles white against the dark wood. Peter, too, sat on his broom like a sack of potatoes but Remus seemed perfectly comfortable with it.

Finally Madam Hooch was satisfied that everyone had assumed the correct position for flying. "Right, now then." She stood astride her own broom with a whistle around her neck, her hawk-like eyes scanning the class one last time before she spoke again. "When I blow my whistle I want you to kick off from the ground, remember, kick upwards until you reach a good flying height then hover for a few seconds before coming back down again. It is essential that you do not attempt to fly off, I will be watching." She lifted the whistle to her lips and blew a sharp blast that echoed around the grounds like the screech of a bird of prey. At once James kicked off hard, he soared into the air with a whoop of delight. The ground receded below him until all those still left there looked liked tiny ants.

Sirius watched James in amazement as he broke all the rules set down by their professor, the second he had launched himself into the air he began to do a lap of the grounds. His laughter echoed over the undulating ground and the students began muttering and laughing with him. Madam Hooch, however, looked furious. Sirius appreciated how excellent James really was, he did a series of complicated aerobatic manoeuvres that would have impressed the England Quidditch team. He was graceful in the air, far more than he was on the ground. Due to his light build he was able to do amazing tricks and stunts that someone of Sirius' breadth could never hope to achieve.

Finally James landed with smooth elegance, sitting side-saddle. When he touched the ground he leapt off lightly, his cheeks flushed and with a broad grin on his lips. There was a sudden silence before the Gryffindor's erupted into immense applause. Madam Hooch silenced them all with a blast on her whistle.

"Mr. Potter!" She demanded angrily. "Did I not warn you what would happen if you defied me? I have never seen such excellent flying, I will recommend you to the Gryffindor Quidditch team as soon as you turn thirteen, however, I will not have you pulling stunts like that again! Do you hear me?"

James' grin never even faltered, he ruffled up his hair and nodded. "Of course professor, thanks."

"You will receive detention, I will explain what happened to your head of house and I am removing twenty points from Gryffindor…that was stupidly dangerous!"

James turned to Sirius as Madam Hooch began helping someone else to get off the ground, he winked at him roguishly. "Totally worth it."


End file.
